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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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468
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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tear — to rip
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tear — from crying
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. present — a gift
  13. scale — size or range
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. scale — in music
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stem — to come from
  24. present — the time now

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