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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kid — child
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bound — obliged
  12. present — the time now
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. content — the amount
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — of the leg

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