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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: rush · patient · tube · ground · stem · squash · face · march

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — hurry
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — a position
  11. march — music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stem — to come from
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — a container
  23. squash — the sport
  24. face — to confront

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