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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 120 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: fine · prune · drill · chair · calf · march · lie · stem

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a leader
  5. drill — army training
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — a practice
  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