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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. fine — all right
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — high quality
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rest — a break
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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