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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rest — a break
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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