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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fine — all right
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — certain
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — the animal
  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