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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bark — to shout

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