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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ground — the earth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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