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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. root — of a word
  3. ball — a great time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a dance
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a friend
  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