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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — there
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — a gift
  20. squash — the sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a hat
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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