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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — a match
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. land — ground
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — a country
  23. row — a line
  24. calf — of the leg

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