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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.

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 · spell · swing · deal · lean · root · present · mine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — letters
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. present — there
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — the cause
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mine — for digging
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — a young animal

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