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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — in sport
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — clothes
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cell — a phone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — after costs

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