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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. can — to be able to
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chest — a box
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pit — a hole

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