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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. clip — a video
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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