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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — to come from
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. key — for a lock
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. roll — a list
  8. bound — obliged
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hand — help
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — certain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — bread
  18. row — to paddle
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hand — part of the body

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