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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — after costs
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. rock — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — to breed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — for catching
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. content — videos and posts

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