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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — a video
  10. season — of the year
  11. clip — for paper
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. club — for golf
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. season — in sport
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — to come from

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