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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 124 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — decided
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — steady
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. toast — bread
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. root — of a plant
  24. toast — the most admired

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