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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 116 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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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: bulb · squash · stick · mine · rest · root · calf · rule

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rule — government

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