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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — a box
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — in sport
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chest — of your body
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — the animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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