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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — child
  5. present — there
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. firm — decided
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. firm — a company
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fork — in a road

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