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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: stem · cap · last · ruler · tear · season · bay · calf

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — to rip
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — to come from
  16. season — in sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — final
  24. season — to add flavour

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