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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
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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: foot · calf · game · bound · root · leaves · wave · mine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. foot — a measure
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. game — a match
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — of a tree

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