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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cold — an illness
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. staff — employees
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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