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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — bread
  4. bat — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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