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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. season — of the year
  3. stem — to come from
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. charge — in control
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. game — wild animals
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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