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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — to bear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. snap — to click
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — for digging

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