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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 120 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: calf · rest · staff · pound · bay · root · face · season

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — a weight
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. root — of a word
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rest — what's left

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