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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 116 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 · ground · mug · prune · mate · fine · spell · nail

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — a face
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. mate — a friend
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spell — a short time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mug — to rob

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