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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 116 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: rest · root · wake · pop · calf · ruler · pass · capital

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pop — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. capital — money
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wake — a trail

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