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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. present — a gift
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — to trim

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