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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — hurry
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lean — thin
  24. patient — a sick person

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