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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. chest — a box
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — a series
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. court — of a king
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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