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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: patient · deal · march · fan · nail · stem

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

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. march — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month

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