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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: cell · patient · root · prune · lash · bank · last · fan

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — finally
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — to go on
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. last — final
  24. cell — a phone

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