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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: fall · patient · wind · craft · stem · bear

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fall — the season
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal

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