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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — a safe
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. root — of a word
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — government
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — a law
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — all right

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