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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. clip — a video
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. clip — to cut
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — all right
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hand — part of the body

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