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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — thin
  7. root — of a word
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — a line
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spring — of water
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. root — the cause
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stem — to come from
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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