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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chest — a box
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — of your body

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