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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — completely
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — child
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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