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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rash — a series
  3. bass — the fish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rest — a break
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — a country
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bass — low music

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