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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. drill — army training
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — of water
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. current — electric
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. foot — part of the body

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