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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — humankind
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — for betting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stem — to come from
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — the fruit

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