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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mate — a friend
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cold — not warm
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cold — an illness
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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