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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. face — to point toward
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — a position
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ground — the earth
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — certain

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