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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rest — a break
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — a young animal
  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