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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · root · capital · bound · calf · foot · leaves · lash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. capital — a city
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. capital — money
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. root — of a word
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. track — to keep track
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a path

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