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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. swing — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. field — for sport
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — music

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