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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: lean · nail · prune · cap · clip · staff · kid · calf

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lean — to bend
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. clip — a video
  20. kid — child
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — on a finger
  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