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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. object — a thing
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. object — an aim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — to protest
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — a young animal

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