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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a friend
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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