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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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Word bank
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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: prune · suit · ball · row · calf · wake · squash · last

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. last — final
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — to crush
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. last — finally
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. last — to go on
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — the sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — to fit

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