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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a face
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chest — a box
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mug — to rob
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — the sport
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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