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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a song
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pit — a hole
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ball — a great time
  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