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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: prune · patient · chest · capital · calf · wave · board · scale

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. scale — in music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. capital — a city
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. capital — money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. scale — size or range
  24. prune — to trim

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