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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: board · kid · shower · bay · firm · root · present · calf

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kid — to tease
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — the cause
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — the time now
  9. root — of a word
  10. firm — a company
  11. root — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — there
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. shower — rain

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