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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 116 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 · snap · chair · scale · file · fine · calf · kick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chair — a leader
  4. snap — to click
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. file — a tool
  9. kick — in football
  10. stem — to come from
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. scale — in music
  13. file — a line of people
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a document

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