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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. craft — a skill
  5. content — happy
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — help
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — a friend
  21. content — the amount
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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