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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 · bay · present · vault · date · can · patient · arm

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — to be able to
  10. present — the time now
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — 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