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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. toast — bread
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — a line
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — for light

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