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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — a safe
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — for sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mug — a face
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  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