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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cell — a phone
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. leaves — lets stay

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