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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — a thing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. net — for catching
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — to come from
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. net — in sport

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