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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · drill · key · calf · pound · snap · clip · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. drill — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. clip — to cut
  9. prune — to trim
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. board — to get on
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — a committee
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — army training
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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