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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — thin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — tied together
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — decided
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bound — certain
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. firm — a company

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