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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hide · scale · race · current · dip · clip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — of water
  9. clip — to cut
  10. root — the cause
  11. clip — a video
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — of a word
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. root — of a plant
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — for paper

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