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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. kick — in football
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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