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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. last — final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. last — to go on
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — finally
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. calf — of the leg

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