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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
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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: spring · prune · last · wound · bulb · calf · bear · hide

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — final
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — to go on
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — finally
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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