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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — of water
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spring — a coil
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — finally
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — the fruit

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