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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — farmland
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. field — for sport
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. field — a subject
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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