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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a hole
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wax — to grow
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. arm — part of the body

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