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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spell — magic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spring — a coil
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spring — the season
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spring — of water
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spell — letters

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