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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — a gift
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. present — there
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bank — of a river
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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