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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. sharp — clever
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of a car

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