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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. present — there
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — to come from
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. present — the time now

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