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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: tear · net · wave · root · land · deal · calf · foot

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. land — ground
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tear — from crying
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — to come down
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — a country
  23. net — in sport
  24. foot — the bottom

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