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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — to come from
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. net — for catching
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — a stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — wild animals

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