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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. clip — a video
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — a weight
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. patient — a sick person

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