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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — a contest
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ball — a dance
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — decided
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — a company
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — humankind

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