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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. prune — to trim
  3. clip — to cut
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — a permit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — a face
  9. clip — a video
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — to rob

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