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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cell — a phone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. court — of a king
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cell — in biology
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. court — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — clothes
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stock — shares
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stem — of a plant

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