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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
468
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 · nail · calf · stick · track · mug · clip · cabinet

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — a video
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. clip — to cut
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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