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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a trace
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — of water
  8. content — happy
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — the amount
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. patient — a sick person

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