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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a document
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kick — in football
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. file — a tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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