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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a friend
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young 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