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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. shower — rain
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. key — in music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — a publisher
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. press — to push
  20. scale — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. press — newspapers

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