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

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — all right
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — to come from
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spell — a short time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — wild animals
  24. spell — letters

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