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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — a measure
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spring — a coil
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. band — a music group
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fine — all right
  24. rock — music

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