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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 124 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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. row — a line
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stem — to come from
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — a thing
  22. row — to paddle
  23. track — to keep track
  24. toast — the most admired

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