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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.

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: patient · temple · foot · scale · prune · toast · wound · hand

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. toast — bread
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — help
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. patient — a sick person

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