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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 116 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: pitcher · rush · tear · ruler · patient · stem · fan · mug

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — a thrill

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