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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 124 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — there
  4. mug — a face
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — the time now
  20. cold — an illness
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — a cup

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