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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. row — a line
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — to get on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. present — there
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — to paddle
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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