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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — there
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — to trim
  13. present — a gift
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. firm — decided
  16. mark — a trace
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to bend
  19. firm — a company
  20. lean — thin
  21. present — the time now
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to rest against

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