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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to click
  6. stem — to come from
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — to push
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fine — all right
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — a publisher

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