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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: kid · stem · leaves · bay · kick · club · bore · calf

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kid — child
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kick — in football
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. club — a group
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bore — to tire
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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