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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. can — to be able to
  16. spell — magic
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. roll — a list

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