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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: root · bore · squash · wake · calf · tear · hand · pitch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hand — help
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tear — to rip
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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