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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rock — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pop — soda
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cold — an illness

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