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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. present — the time now
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — there
  7. mug — a cup
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a face
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — to rob
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of a king
  19. wound — an injury
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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