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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — a subject
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. field — farmland
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. current — of water
  14. present — the time now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a friend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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