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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. firm — a company
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spring — a coil
  20. firm — steady
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — a measure

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