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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: row · leaves · calf · present · roll · kick · mark · root

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. roll — a cake
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mark — a grade
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. root — the cause
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. roll — a list
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kick — in football
  18. present — there
  19. root — of a plant
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a line
  23. present — the time now
  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