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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · mine · prune · coach · leaves · wound · calf · vault

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fine — high quality
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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