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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cue — a hint
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stem — to come from
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cue — a signal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kick — in football
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stem — of a plant

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