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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — a division
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. drill — army training
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — electric
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. current — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cold — not warm
  19. drill — a practice
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — happening now
  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