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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. track — a song
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — to keep track
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. track — a path

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