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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. content — happy
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. object — an aim
  14. content — the amount
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — a thing
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. bass — the instrument

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