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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — child
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to click

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