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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fork — in a road
  5. board — to get on
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. board — a committee
  24. fork — to eat with

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