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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 116 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: bay · trunk · bear · rush · patient · stem · snap · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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