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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. 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. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — to come from
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — for paper
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. clip — a video
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — low music
  24. 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