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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stock — shares
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — goods
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — a monarch

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