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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. game — a match
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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