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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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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: spell · bay · pound · calf · rule · wind · date · stem

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — magic
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — government
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — a weight

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