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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — a tool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. club — for dancing
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. club — for golf
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. club — a group

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