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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a music group
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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