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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — hasty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — a subject
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — to recline

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