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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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