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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: nail · track · cap · calf · roll · stem · shower · mate

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. cap — a hat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cap — a lid
  8. shower — rain
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. roll — on a roll

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