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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. spring — of water
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — to come from
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — a price
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — in control
  21. kick — in football
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — a thrill
  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