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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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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: face · calf · root · sharp · swing · field · trunk · spell

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. swing — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — letters
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — for sport
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. face — to confront
  15. root — the cause
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. swing — to play on
  21. face — part of the head
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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