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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. root — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. season — of the year
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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