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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 116 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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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: tear · calf · stem · court · bound · race · craft · mate

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — a contest
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tear — to rip
  10. court — for sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. bound — obliged
  13. court — of law
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. court — of a king
  24. craft — a skill

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