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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — letters
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a face
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. march — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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