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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kid — child
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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