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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cell — in biology
  8. net — in sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. firm — steady
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — after costs
  16. firm — a company
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. net — for catching
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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