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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 · mark · calf · spring · kick · shower · key · current

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stem — to come from
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — happening now
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mark — a grade
  17. shower — rain
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — a coil

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