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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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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: ball · bear · stand · wind · fan · calf · root · cap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — of ice
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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