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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — of a plant

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