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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — hurry
  18. swing — in golf
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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