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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mate — a partner
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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