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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — an untruth

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