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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a path
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — to crush
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — to protest
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — an aim
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — a song

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