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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — boats
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — a trace
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mark — to pay attention

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