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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spring — of water
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — after costs
  17. present — there
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. present — a gift
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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