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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — shares
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rash — a series
  16. firm — steady
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fall — the season
  20. firm — a company
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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