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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: straw · calf · nail · fall · swing · prune · mug · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. swing — to play on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fall — the season
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — to drop

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