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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. charge — in control
  8. face — to confront
  9. object — an aim
  10. stem — to come from
  11. face — part of the head
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — a stone
  24. charge — electricity

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