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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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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: shower · stem · rule · calf · mate · craft

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. craft — boats
  10. mate — a friend
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — government
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a skill
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stem — to come from

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