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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 124 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — a line
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kid — child
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — the cause

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