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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. suit — in cards
  5. present — a gift
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — the season
  8. present — there
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — the cause
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. suit — to fit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a plant
  19. present — the time now
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — of water
  23. root — of a word
  24. stem — of a plant

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