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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — a leader
  7. spell — magic
  8. root — of a plant
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. snap — to click
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. root — of a word
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. prune — to trim

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