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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. press — newspapers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — to push
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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