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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. 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. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. present — there
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. present — a gift
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — the time now
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. 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