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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — a subject
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — farmland
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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