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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kick — in football
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rash — a series
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — a phone
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pit — in a race
  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