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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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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 · present · hide · snap · fork · ground · cap

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — of a word
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. snap — to click
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a hat
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young animal

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