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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: stem · kick · row · pound · calf · race · chair · leaves

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — a line
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — in football
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. chair — a leader
  24. calf — a young animal

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