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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — a break
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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