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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — in football
  5. pass — a permit
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — to come from
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — a stem cell

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