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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a music group
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a face
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitcher — a jug

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