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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — thin
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rest — what's left
  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