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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — a face
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. trunk — of a car

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