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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · wound · staff · stem · trunk · patient · deal · rest

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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