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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: calf · saw · prune · wake · key · present · arm · pound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. present — a gift
  3. pound — a weight
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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