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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: leaves · key · calf · prune · wake · stick · chip · lean

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chip — to eat
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young 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