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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — a friend
  9. craft — boats
  10. stem — to come from
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — a line
  13. file — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. row — to paddle
  16. craft — a skill
  17. file — a document
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rest — what's left
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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