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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — to recline
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — the amount
  11. tube — a container
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — happy
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ball — a great time

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