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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: tear · prune · scale · calf · foot · nail · squash · vault

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. squash — the sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — size or range
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tear — to rip
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — in music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — the bottom

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