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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — a stem cell

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