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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tube — the underground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tube — a container
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cold — an illness
  24. chip — for betting

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