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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — electric
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — happening now
  17. swing — in golf
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. swing — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — in sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — for catching

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