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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.

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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 · firm · can · patient · fall · stem · season · club

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — steady
  3. fall — the season
  4. club — a group
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. firm — a company
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for golf
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — for digging
  24. season — to add flavour

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