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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. shower — rain
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — a trail
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pitcher — a jug

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