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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spring — of water
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. net — in sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — a coil
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — for digging
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spring — the season
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to confront

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