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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: mouse · calf · lean · march · file · prune · pitch · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. file — a tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. march — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — thin
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to bend

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