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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — a sports field

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