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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — to come from
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — a match
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — for digging
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — belonging to me

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