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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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — for digging
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. tube — the underground
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — to crush
  24. patient — a sick person

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