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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. march — music
  4. content — happy
  5. march — the month
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. content — the amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — the month
  22. root — of a word
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com