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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — a supporter

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