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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 124 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kick — in football
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mug — to rob
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — of water
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spring — a coil
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — the season

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