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

Word bank: mug · wind · chest · bay · can · cap · patient · stem

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a face
  9. chest — a box
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mug — a cup
  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