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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a great time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. race — humankind
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. race — a contest
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — of ice

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