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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. court — of a king
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bark — to shout
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — a face
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. court — for sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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