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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — for dogs

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