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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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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: stem · wind · calf · wound · lean · foot · game · suit

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. game — a match
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — of the leg

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