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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 116 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. march — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — a break
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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