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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — a cup
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — to rob
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mug — a face
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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