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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wound — an injury
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tear — to rip
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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