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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.

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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: deal · rash · kid · pitch · calf · temple · can · prune

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — child
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rash — a series
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — an agreement

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