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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rock — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — ground
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — a stone
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. root — of a word
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — to come down
  13. rest — a break
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — a trail
  20. can — to be able to
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — what's left

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