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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · mate · squash · prune · calf · snap · game · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hand — in cards
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mate — to breed
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a match
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — help
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. staff — a stick
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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