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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — low music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a face
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chest — of your body

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