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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: last · patient · prune · spell · rash · plane · rock · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — magic
  10. last — final
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. last — finally
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — a tool

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