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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — to go on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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