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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · march · lie · patient · bowl · season · calf · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — of the year
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — music
  17. season — in sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — of the leg

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