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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mark — a trace
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — a place of worship

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