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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. chair — a leader
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — for sport
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. current — of water
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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