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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: march · prune · cue · bound · calf · spring · perch · fall

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. march — the month
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — music
  11. bound — certain
  12. spring — of water
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fall — the season
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  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