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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. row — to paddle
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — thin
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — of the year
  15. drill — a practice
  16. row — a line
  17. season — in sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. game — a kind of play

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