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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
468
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: game · fan · field · cabinet · trunk · lie · calf · root

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. root — of a word
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. game — a match
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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