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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — a law
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rule — government
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — a division
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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