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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — a container
  12. face — to confront
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — a young animal

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