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

Word bank: cell · patient · saw · deal · calf · stem

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stem — to come from
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool

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