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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: bat · spring · cap · kick · root · mouse · calf · deal

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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 word
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spring — of water
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cap — a lid
  12. deal — to handle
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. kick — in football
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — the 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