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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — a match
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — the fish
  17. object — to protest
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — an aim
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — a thing

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