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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — a break

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