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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — thin
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — music
  19. mug — a face
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ruler — a monarch

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