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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — low music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. last — to go on
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — to push
  24. prune — the fruit

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