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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kid — child
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — a break
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — a young animal

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