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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cap — a lid
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cap — of ice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — in music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — a young animal

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