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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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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 · patient · wind · staff · fine · wave · chip · lash

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chip — for betting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — to come from
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wave — with your hand
  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