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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bat — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — help
  24. safe — out of danger

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