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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stem — to come from
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — of a word
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — the cause
  24. plane — in geometry

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