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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: patient · stem · band · rest · scale · current · squash · kick

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. squash — to crush
  3. current — happening now
  4. scale — size or range
  5. band — a music group
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — of water
  11. band — a ring
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — in football
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. current — electric
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — to come from
  24. squash — the sport

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