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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — the season
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fall — to drop
  24. face — to confront

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