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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — to get on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — to rob
  12. board — a committee
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rest — a break
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mug — a face

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