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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: object · wind · track · cell · calf · fork · prune · suit

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fork — in a road
  5. track — to keep track
  6. suit — in cards
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. object — to protest
  21. wind — moving air
  22. track — a song
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. suit — clothes

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