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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stem — to come from
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. row — to paddle
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. shower — rain
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. calf — a young animal

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