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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. race — a contest
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. race — the arms race
  7. press — to push
  8. race — humankind
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. firm — decided
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mug — a face
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — a company

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