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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. band — a music group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. face — part of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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