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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — crushed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. perch — the fish
  23. kick — with a leg
  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