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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: patient · chip · ruler · sharp · nail · wind · band · stem

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stem — to come from
  4. band — a music group
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. band — a ring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ruler — for measuring

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