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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. shower — rain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wound — an injury
  20. shower — to wash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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