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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pop — soda
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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