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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — thin
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bore — to tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — to come from
  20. row — to paddle
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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