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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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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: wind · firm · pop · calf · stick · prune · bay · wake

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. firm — steady
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — soda
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wind — to turn a key

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