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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — a face
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. row — a line
  11. stem — to come from
  12. firm — decided
  13. mug — to rob
  14. track — a song
  15. press — to push
  16. track — to keep track
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — steady
  20. track — a path
  21. firm — a company
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — newspapers

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