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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spring — a coil
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spring — the season
  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