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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — a law
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — government
  12. snap — to click
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — to drill
  19. net — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — to tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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