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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 · cell · nail · bear · cue · capital · key · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. key — the most important part

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