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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pop — soda
  6. clip — for paper
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a cup
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — to trim
  17. clip — a video
  18. plane — a tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mug — to rob

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