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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. current — electric
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — of water
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. net — in sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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