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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — the sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bank — of a river
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. nail — for a hammer

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