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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — electric
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — to come from
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wake — a trail

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