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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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