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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. prune — to trim
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — a trainer

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