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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — to confront
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. net — in sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — after costs
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. face — to point toward
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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