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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — a safe
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a line
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — to paddle

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