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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chest — of your body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — music
  18. chest — a box
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bank — of a river

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