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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: mouse · cap · swing · present · calf · wind · can · prune

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. present — the time now
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — there
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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