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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.

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: calf · present · pop · wind · bear · bound · can · stem

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pop — soda
  17. present — there
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — tied together

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