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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: object · row · cap · patient · fine · spell · can · prune

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — all right
  15. spell — letters
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. row — a line
  19. cap — a lid
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — to protest
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — a hat

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