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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. swing — to play on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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