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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. present — a gift
  18. pit — in a race
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — child
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the fish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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