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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — to trim
  8. march — music
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. march — the month

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