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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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