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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fine — a penalty

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