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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — thin
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mate — a partner

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