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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 116 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: race · row · can · mate · calf · root · face · prune

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. root — of a plant
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. race — humankind
  12. mate — a friend
  13. can — to be able to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to point toward
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a line
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — the fruit

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