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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a dance
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — the fruit

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