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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — an aim
  5. foot — a measure
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stem — to come from
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — happening now
  13. swing — in golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — to play on
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. pop — soda
  24. current — of water

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