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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: leaves · lash · bat · patient · stem · wind · fan · deal

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. patient — a sick person

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