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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. charge — a price
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kick — in football
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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