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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — a coil
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stand — for spectators

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