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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · root · bowl · kick · patient · tear

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kick — in football
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — to rip

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