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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — to grow
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mine — for digging
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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