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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: mug · root · date · calf · key · bark · snap · wound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a word
  4. date — the fruit
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a face
  10. key — in music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mug — to rob
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — the cause
  24. wound — an injury

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