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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: cell · rock · patient · saw · stem · rash · pitcher · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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