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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 · pop · game · prune · lean · nail · march · arm

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — to visit
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. march — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pop — soda
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — thin

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