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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 120 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: rash · prune · stock · degree · pass · lie · spell · patient

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. spell — magic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — a series
  8. pass — a permit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — shares
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — goods

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