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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.

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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: deal · wind · roll · pit · mate · patient · prune · rest

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — in a race
  12. roll — a list
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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