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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · saw · leaves · prune · present · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool

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