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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — a price
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ground — a position
  17. kid — child
  18. charge — in control
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  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