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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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