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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — a face
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire

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