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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — to come from
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pit — a hole
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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