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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: bay · calf · file · rest · prune · bark · swing · coach

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — to play on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. swing — in golf
  19. file — a document
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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