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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: prune · pass · cue · foot · clip · capital · lash · calf

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — a video
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. capital — a city
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — money
  24. clip — for paper

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