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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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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: bay · roll · rest · spell · prune · patient · rock · pass

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — a short time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — magic
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spell — letters
  15. roll — a list
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rest — a break
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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