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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — to come from
  24. season — of the year

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