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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — a list
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cap — a lid
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. roll — a cake
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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