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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — music
  4. bat — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — to eat
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bat — for baseball

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