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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a leader
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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