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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — a permit
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. prune — to trim

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