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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. race — humankind
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — of a tree

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