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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rash — hasty
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. net — for catching
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rush — hurry
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — of the leg

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