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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — to handle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a word
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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