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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 · can · stem · row · roll · saw · bowl · rush

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. roll — a list
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — a thrill

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