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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · suit · wind · spring · patient · bear · mine · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spring — of water
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wind — moving air
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. suit — to fit

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