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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — to visit
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — a box
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — of a plant

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