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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. race — the arms race
  7. squash — the sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — humankind
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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