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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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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: pound · calf · clip · leaves · racket · lash · ruler · stem

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — a video
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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