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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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