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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — happy
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pass — a permit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. net — in sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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