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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stand — to bear
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — the underground
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — a container
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stock — goods
  20. kid — child
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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