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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rest — a break
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stem — to come from
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. swing — in golf
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. swing — to play on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. capital — money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. swing — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a trace
  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