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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bore — to drill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. track — a song
  24. bark — to shout

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