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

Word bank: calf · saw · roll · lie · bank · prune · season · mark

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — to recline
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. roll — a cake
  24. calf — of the leg

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