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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. season — of the year
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — to cool the air

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