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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — for digging
  14. court — of law
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. club — for golf

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