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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — thin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rash — a series
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — a contest
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — a match
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rash — on the skin

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