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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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. kick — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — in football
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — to shout
  24. swing — music

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