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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a face
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — to rob
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — for sport
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. court — of law
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — a cup

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