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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — size or range
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — all right
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — a signal

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