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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — music
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — to come down
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — of the leg

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