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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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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: arm · calf · can · stem · saw · deal · patient · season

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — of the year
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — to be able to

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