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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. kid — child
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — to tease
  7. charge — in control
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. root — the cause
  24. charge — a price

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