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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: fork · key · root · tear · calf · lean · pit · plane

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — in music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. plane — a tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. root — of a word
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — the cause
  24. lean — thin

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