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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: cell · stock · present · craft · tube · stem · rush · calf

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cell — a phone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — boats
  6. present — the time now
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. present — there
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stock — goods
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tube — in a tire

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