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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chair — a leader
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ground — a position
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a round shape

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