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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cold — not warm
  14. snap — to click
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stem — to come from
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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