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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. staff — a stick
  5. land — to come down
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. race — a contest
  8. staff — employees
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. land — a country
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — ground
  22. stem — to come from
  23. race — the arms race
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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