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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. object — an aim
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — a permit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a document

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