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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mug — a face
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — hurry

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