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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — magic
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — rain
  17. mug — to rob
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — a short time

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