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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. content — the amount
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. content — happy

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