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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — in football
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wound — an injury
  11. foot — a measure
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — of ice
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — 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