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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · dip · leaves · snap · net · calf · object · stem

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. snap — to click
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. dip — to sink
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — in sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — to protest
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stem — to come from

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