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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: date · calf · pop · saw · mine · bank · lash · stem

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pop — music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — to come from
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mine — an explosive

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