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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. root — the cause
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chest — a box
  12. root — of a word
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — soda
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pop — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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