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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. roll — a list
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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