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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · capital · calf · wake · straw · squash · saw · prune

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — a stick
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — a city

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