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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — child
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a match
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. key — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — wild animals
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. game — a kind of play

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