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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: fall · lash · present · rest · calf · foot · bass · stem

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — the time now
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the fish
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. present — there
  23. bass — low music
  24. fall — the season

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