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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. deal — to handle
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — clever
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. march — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kid — child

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