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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ground — a position
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — a series
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fork — to eat with

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