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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: mine · stem · fall · wound · key · jam · patient · stick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. key — in music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — the season
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wound — an injury

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