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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cue — a signal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cold — not warm
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stem — of a plant

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