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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — a law
  18. squash — the sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — government
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — a stem cell

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