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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. capital — money
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in biology
  12. capital — a city
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. capital — a big letter

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