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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — an aim
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. object — to protest
  24. spell — letters

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