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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — thin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — what's left
  20. net — in sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to rest against

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