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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: root · calf · bound · kick · row · cell · prune · lie

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. row — to paddle
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — certain
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cell — in biology
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cell — a phone

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