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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — of a plant

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