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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: stem · bear · can · current · calf · patient · wind · rule

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — happening now
  15. rule — a law
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — a tin

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