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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: arm · track · mate · calf · tear · net · stem · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. net — after costs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — a path
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — in sport
  17. track — a song
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tear — to rip
  21. object — to protest
  22. stem — to come from
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — for catching

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