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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 · rash · cue · hide · fork · calf · trunk · toast

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — hasty
  11. toast — bread
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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