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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.

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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: prune · rock · lie · race · stand · drill · calf · cabinet

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. race — a contest
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. race — humankind

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