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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — the animal

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