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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  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