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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. mine — for digging
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — a position
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — a break

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