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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — for catching
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — after costs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — in music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — the amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — a thrill

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