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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — the amount
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chair — to sit on
  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