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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — the tool
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wave — 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