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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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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 · rock · prune · foot · key · wax · snap · pitch

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. foot — a measure
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wax — to grow
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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