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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.

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: staff · wax · cue · calf · mouse · prune · branch · rest

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cue — a hint
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a signal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. calf — of the leg

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