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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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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: stem · nail · kick · pound · fall · mine · current · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. current — happening now
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fall — the season
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — electric

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