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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — for money
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. squash — the sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  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