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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. stem — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — after costs
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. net — in sport
  24. cue — a signal

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