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

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — an illness
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. prune — to trim
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. toast — bread
  24. pound — a weight

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