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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — a thing
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. firm — steady
  9. object — to protest
  10. cold — an illness
  11. object — an aim
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. firm — a company
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cold — not warm
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — decided
  24. stem — a stem cell

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