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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — decided
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cell — in biology

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