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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. firm — steady
  16. chest — of your body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — decided
  19. chest — a box
  20. toast — bread
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. coach — a trainer

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