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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. land — a country
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fine — all right
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rest — a break
  16. staff — a stick
  17. race — a contest
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — ground
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — a cup

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