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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: temple · stem · rash · fan · roll · charge · patient · plane

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — a cake
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — a list
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rash — a series
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — to come from

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