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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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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 · kid · wave · lean · calf · pass · prune · fine

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lean — thin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kid — child
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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