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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — soda
  5. cell — in biology
  6. row — a line
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — a path
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cell — a phone

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