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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · can · cell · patient · stem · bear · lie · bowl

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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