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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the sport
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. clip — a video
  7. suit — clothes
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — to crush
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — in cards
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — to fit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a leader
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. calf — a young animal

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