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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stem — to come from
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. roll — a list
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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