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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: cell · toast · bore · fall · rash · calf · swing · root

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — in biology
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rash — hasty
  7. root — the cause
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to drill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a plant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to tire
  23. toast — bread
  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