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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a song
  9. toast — bread
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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