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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stem — to come from
  16. race — a contest
  17. chair — a leader
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — humankind
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — a sick person

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