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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rest — a break
  5. row — to paddle
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — the season
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a line
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a quarrel

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