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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. game — wild animals
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — in a race
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a hole
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rest — what's left

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