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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — there
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — of law
  14. net — after costs
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. present — a gift
  24. court — of a king

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