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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mug — a cup
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — an aim
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. object — a thing
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — to protest
  23. kick — in football
  24. mug — a face

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