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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. present — the time now
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hand — help
  21. present — a gift
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — there
  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