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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. swing — in golf
  4. root — the cause
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — to bend
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — a company
  14. root — of a word
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — music
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kid — child
  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