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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. net — in sport
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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