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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. shower — rain
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spring — of water
  6. rule — government
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cue — a signal
  9. key — in music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spring — a coil
  13. shower — to wash
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — to shout
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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