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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mine — for digging
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — all right
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rock — a stone
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rock — to move gently

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