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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 116 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — in music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kid — child
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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