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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: patient · pit · tube · mate · net · prune · rush · lie

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — a container
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — the underground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — a thrill

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