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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. present — the time now
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — a gift
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. present — there

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