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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — to protest
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — magic
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. season — of the year
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. object — an aim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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