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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 120 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: pop · lie · pitcher · stem · nail · fan · content · calf

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — to come from
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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