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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bear — the animal

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