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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cold — not warm
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — all right
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — high quality
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cold — an illness

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