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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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