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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — steady
  6. pitch — completely
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. lean — thin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lean — to bend

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