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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. spring — of water
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — certain
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — thin

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