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

Word bank: bank · calf · kick · mug · toast · stem · root · chest

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chest — of your body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — a box
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a face
  18. toast — bread
  19. bank — of a river
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — in football
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — of a plant

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