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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chest — a box
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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