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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. court — of law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — happening now
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. current — of water
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — boats
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. court — of a king

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