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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cell — a phone
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — a stick
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a city
  9. cell — in biology
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. patient — a sick person

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