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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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. pound — for dogs
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fall — the season
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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