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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: swing · spell · bore · root · foot · cabinet · perch · calf

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. spell — letters
  3. bore — to tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. root — of a plant
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — of a word
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spell — a short time
  17. swing — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — magic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — of the leg
  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