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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lean — to bend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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