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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: foot · rush · root · calf · fine · kid · craft · chest

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — all right
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. root — the cause

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