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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hand — part of the body

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