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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — a hole
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — a container
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. object — an aim
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. object — to protest
  24. tear — from crying

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