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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. row — a line
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cold — an illness

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