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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: calf · leaves · shower · mark · board · root · snap · firm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — a committee
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — of a word
  7. snap — to click
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. firm — a company
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — of a plant
  17. board — to get on
  18. mark — a grade
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. shower — to wash
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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