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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: mate · calf · foot · stem · leaves · row · clip · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — a video
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a line
  8. rest — a break
  9. stem — to come from
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mate — to breed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — a measure
  17. clip — for paper
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — a young animal

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