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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spring — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — certain
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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