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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — electric
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — a division
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. key — the most important part
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — to come from

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