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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — of a word
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mark — a trace
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — a weight

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