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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: prune · bay · swing · patient · leaves · calf · chip · vault

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chip — for betting
  15. swing — in golf
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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