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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spring — the season
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — the bottom

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