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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: rush · cell · board · tear · cap · calf · rash · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rash — a series
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — a committee
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — on the skin

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