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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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