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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. craft — a skill
  11. present — there
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. roll — a cake
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. stem — a stem cell

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