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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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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: cell · straw · calf · bulb · stem · bore · cap · hide

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bore — to drill

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