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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 116 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: bound · cabinet · swing · tear · calf · prune · kid · saw

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bound — certain
  3. tear — from crying
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. swing — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — tied together
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — obliged
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. prune — to trim
  24. swing — to play on

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