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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: swing · stand · scale · rush · wound · trunk · prune · calf

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — to bear
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. scale — size or range

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