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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. court — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — of law
  14. bark — to shout
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — a phone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bark — of a tree

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