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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: rush · current · toast · hand · calf · stem · cell · chair

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. current — of water
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. current — happening now
  18. toast — bread
  19. cell — in biology
  20. current — electric
  21. hand — help
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stem — of a plant

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