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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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 — a sick person
  2. stem — to come from
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. degree — temperature
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. root — of a word
  11. degree — from a university
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — the cause
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — an amount
  21. root — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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