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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. degree — from a university
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — for pool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — temperature
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — of a word
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — boats
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hide — animal skin

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