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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. firm — a company
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — decided
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pit — in a race
  20. firm — steady
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fork — in a road
  24. calf — of the leg

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