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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stem — to come from
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. field — a subject

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