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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
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 · foot · spell · patient · firm · stock · fork · face

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. firm — decided
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — in a road
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — letters
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — part of the head

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