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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 124 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ground — a position
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. deal — a big deal

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