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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a partner
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — to shout
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rest — a break
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. deal — a big deal

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