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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — to come from
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — electric
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — of water
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bound — certain
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chest — a box
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — a stem cell

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