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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. cap — a lid
  10. content — happy
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cap — a hat
  23. root — the cause
  24. scale — in music

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