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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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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: stem · patient · wave · ruler · bowl · spring

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — to come from

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