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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — a series
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — of ice

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