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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tear — to rip
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — hasty
  21. staff — a stick
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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