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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. charge — a price
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. rest — what's left

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