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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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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: tube · march · calf · bay · bark · prune · jam · wind

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. march — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. march — the month
  24. calf — a young animal

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