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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · patient · mine · court · leaves · bulb · stem · row

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. court — of law
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of a king
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — thin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. court — for sport

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