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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. chest — a box
  7. cue — a signal
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — steady
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — to come down
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — a country
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. saw — the tool

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