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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rule — government
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lash — an eyelash

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