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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: calf · mouse · row · chest · kick · prune · fan · key

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chest — a box
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — the most important part

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