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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — a match
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. row — to paddle
  13. game — wild animals
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — to be able to

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