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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: prune · march · straw · mug · can · scale · plane · calf

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mug — a face
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. can — to be able to
  8. march — music
  9. scale — in music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. scale — for weighing

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