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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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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: straw · pop · bound · calf · prune · face · leaves · cue

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bound — certain
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. face — to confront
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — obliged
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — for pool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — music
  24. prune — to trim

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