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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spell — letters
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — magic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — a position
  23. spell — a short time
  24. prune — to trim

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