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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — a list
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bass — low music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — to bear
  23. roll — a cake
  24. prune — the fruit

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