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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — to drill
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chest — a box

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