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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — there
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — for money
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — a gift

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