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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stem — to come from
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rush — hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mine — an explosive

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