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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rule — government
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — the amount
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stem — to come from
  24. content — videos and posts

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