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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: net · tear · drill · patient · stem · row · suit · band

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — to rip
  13. row — a line
  14. net — after costs
  15. band — a music group
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tear — from crying
  24. net — in 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