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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: staff · root · fall · calf · kid · squash · deal · current

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. current — of water
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — to handle
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — child
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — the season
  19. current — happening now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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