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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mate — to breed
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cold — an illness
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kick — with a 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