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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — to come from
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — a committee
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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