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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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. rash — on the skin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. march — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — hasty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — a series
  24. deal — an agreement

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