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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — the season
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — of the year
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — employees
  16. mark — a trace
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. arm — part of the body

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