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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 116 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — a position
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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