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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. spell — magic
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — the arms race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — a short time
  22. race — a contest
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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