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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bat — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. season — of the year
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — in cards

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