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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: kick · spell · stem · row · tube · calf · stick · rock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — to come from
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kick — in football
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rock — music
  24. spell — letters

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