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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — a trail
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — letters
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — in sport
  24. craft — boats

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