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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — for golf
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hand — help
  10. press — to push
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — a publisher
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to bend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lean — thin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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