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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 116 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. face — part of the head
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — the time now
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — completely
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a music group

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