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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 116 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 · lash · can · calf · wound · cold · rule · coach

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rule — government
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cold — not warm
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cold — an illness
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — a law
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — an eyelash

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