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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bank — of a river
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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