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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — there
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chest — a box
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a line

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