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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. shower — rain
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — a thing
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. object — to protest
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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