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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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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: root · calf · last · pass · snap · track · ruler · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. last — to go on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — final
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — finally
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — a song
  24. root — of a word

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