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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: root · calf · stem · wound · lash · staff · mate · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — to breed
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. root — of a word
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a plant

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