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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — the earth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ball — a great time

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