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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: stem · ruler · ground · wound · patient · squash · wake · cabinet

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ground — a position

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