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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — the season
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — a break
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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