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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. date — the fruit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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