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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — temperature
  3. land — a country
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — to come from
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. land — to come down
  20. tear — from crying
  21. land — ground
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. degree — an amount

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