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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — in control
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — the fish
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — low music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chip — for betting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. charge — a price
  24. patient — a sick person

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