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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — thin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — a thing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mine — for digging
  23. object — an aim
  24. lean — to rest against

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