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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — a stick
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — to come down
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — a country
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pitcher — a jug

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