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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: stem · lean · chip · ball · mug · calf · row · drill

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. drill — army training
  18. ball — a great time
  19. row — a line
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — to paddle
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. calf — a young animal

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