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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: prune · last · face · stick · calf · lie · pitcher · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — to go on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — finally
  10. tube — the underground
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — final
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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