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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — clothes
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. last — final
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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