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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — the amount
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. firm — decided
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — of a plant

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