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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — in a road
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ground — the earth
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — decided
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — steady
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. firm — a company

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