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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. spell — letters
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — completely
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to sink
  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