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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. current — electric
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — happening now
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — of water
  24. tube — a container

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