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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — a coil
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rock — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. suit — in cards
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — the season
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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