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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kick — in football
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — in golf
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. swing — music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — the season
  21. prune — to trim
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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