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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: face · calf · suit · hand · prune · spring · rash · rock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hand — help
  11. spring — the season
  12. face — to confront
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rock — a stone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. face — to point toward

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