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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. net — for catching
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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