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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stem — to come from
  4. club — for dancing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. present — there
  11. cue — a signal
  12. present — the time now
  13. club — a group
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — a young animal

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