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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bulb — for light

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