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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tear — from crying
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — hurry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — for sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — clothes
  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