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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: fan · patient · suit · trunk · fall · ground · pop · hand

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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. hand — in cards
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — the season
  6. pop — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — help
  23. pop — soda
  24. suit — clothes

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