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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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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: swing · lean · safe · foot · prune · calf · cell · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — thin
  7. mate — to breed
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. swing — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. foot — part of the body

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