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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: patient · mate · perch · prune · rush · wound · fork · toast

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mate — to breed

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