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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · calf · prune · file · bound · fan · lean · cap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lean — thin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to click
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — to trim

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