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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cue — a hint
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. arm — a part of something

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