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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — a trail
  8. race — humankind
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — the arms race
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. race — a contest
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — a weight

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