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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. swing — to play on
  6. staff — employees
  7. tear — to rip
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a tool
  10. stem — to come from
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — in golf
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. file — a document
  18. tear — from crying
  19. staff — a stick
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — a young animal

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