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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — a trail
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — for catching
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. prune — to trim

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