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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. game — wild animals
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — the cause

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