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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — employees

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