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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — in music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — to sink

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