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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a signal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. capital — money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rest — a break
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. scale — in music
  24. cue — a hint

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