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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · patient · wound · chest · saw · prune · dip · deal

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chest — a box
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. saw — the tool

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