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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — a container
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — the underground
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — a company

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