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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — there
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. present — the time now
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — a gift
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a line
  24. prune — to trim

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