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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: calf · bear · snap · clip · prune · pound · staff · rush

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. prune — to trim
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — a stick
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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