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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. season — in sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — low music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bass — the instrument

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