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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — in cards
  5. face — part of the head
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — magic
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — the fish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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