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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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