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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. degree — temperature
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. object — a thing
  14. kid — child
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bat — the animal

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