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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. current — electric
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cold — not warm
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lean — thin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cold — an illness
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — happening now
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. calf — a young 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