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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. track — a path
  8. rock — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a song
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — to keep track
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — a stone

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