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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — in sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — to crush
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — after costs
  24. pass — to succeed

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