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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 116 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cell — in biology
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mark — a trace
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pass — a permit

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