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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: cap · rock · calf · mate · wake · sharp · prune · swing

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mate — a partner
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mate — to breed
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — a hat

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