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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. key — in music
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. current — happening now
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. present — the time now
  23. rush — hurry
  24. current — of water

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