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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cold — an illness
  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