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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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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: patient · cell · perch · staff · fine · face · calf · stem

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — a phone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. face — to confront

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