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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
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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: cap · calf · coach · stem · plane · fan · track · root

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a path
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — of ice
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cap — a hat
  21. root — of a word
  22. track — a song
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. plane — an aircraft

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