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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: mug · cue · calf · object · prune · rule · game · wax

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mug — a cup
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. game — a match
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wax — in the ear

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