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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. court — for sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. tube — the underground
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lash — an eyelash

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