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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · stand · row · calf · pop · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pop — to visit
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pop — soda
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — certain
  18. row — a line

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