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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — a series
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. sharp — clever
  23. branch — a division
  24. rash — on the skin

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