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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: bulb · prune · rush · calf · branch · deal · race · safe

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. race — the arms race
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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