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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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