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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kick — in football
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — child
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — hasty
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — with a leg

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