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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — for catching
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stem — to come from
  24. scale — size or range

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