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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cold — an illness
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — to come from

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