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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stem — to come from
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. object — a thing

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