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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — a thing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. staff — a stick
  9. object — an aim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. race — humankind
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bear — the animal

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