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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: sharp · wind · track · patient · calf · prune · staff · chip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. sharp — clever
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. track — a song
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — for betting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. track — a path
  24. chip — in a computer

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