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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.

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: mark · patient · kid · scale · stem · lean · ground · dip

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — size or range
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kid — to tease
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. dip — to sink
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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