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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · stem · wake · calf · rock · bear · bay · game

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — of the leg

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