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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: calf · root · toast · cabinet · current · leaves · land · clip

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — to come down
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — a country
  21. toast — bread
  22. clip — to cut
  23. current — of water
  24. land — ground

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