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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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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: capital · mouse · calf · pit · straw · stem · press · patient

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pit — in a race
  17. capital — a city
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. press — to push
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — money

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