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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — a series
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stem — to come from

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