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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bat — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — magic
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — to tire
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — a list
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — to drill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. scale — size or range
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bat — for baseball

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