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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. march — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. suit — clothes
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a friend
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chair — a professorship

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