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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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. bark — of a tree
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — to eat
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wind — moving air

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